Improved propelling-wheel



NITE STATES ATnNT Trice.

HVIPROVED PROPELLING-WHEEL.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 26,1S7, dated November 22, 1859.

To all whom it may cm2/cern.-

Be it known that I, JosHUA L. HUSBAND, of

the city of Philadelphia,in the State of Penn Sylvania, have invented a new and useful improvement for increasing and econornizing the forces of hydraulic wheels by employing a series of sectional paddles, made so as to revolve together, and thus relieve themselves of backwater; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side view of the wheel; Fig. 2, of thepaddles with the edges-presented to the backwater, cutting their way out of it, and thus relieving themselves from its resistance; and Fig. 3, of the paddles with their broad surfaces presented to the water in a propelling position. A

The wheels may be of any desirable diameterand width. A wheel, for example, 0f thirty feet in diameter and seven and a half feet in width, instead of having the paddles or buckets in one piece and iixed across the whole width of the wheel may have the paddles, for instance, each one-fifth of thewidth of the wheel, or eighteen inches in Width, and extending' from the circumference toward the center of the wheel, like its radii reversed. The length of the paddles will be such as shall be required by the hydraulic effect sought to bc produced.

The paddle Il (see Drawing l) will be fixed to the outer part of its shaft J, which shaft will be of any desirable length, will extend from the periphery toward the center or axle of the wheel,and will have a journal on each end, upon which it will revolve when in operation, as hereinafter described. Each paddle-shaft will also have two cranks L and M (see Drawing 2 or 3) at right angles to each other and of sufficient radius for the purposes stated below. All the paddle-shafts of each range C (see Drawing 2 or 3) will be joined by connecting-rods D and D', (see also Drawing 2 or 3,) working on the crank so as to make them revolve together.

The paddleshafls next the boat, building, or frame erected for the purpose will have fixed on each of them two armsA and A (see Fig. l) at convenient distances apart and at right angles to each other, so that the plane of each paddle,if producechwould bisect one of such arms longitudinally and the other transversely. On the side of the boat, building, or frame erected for the purpose will be fixed two circular guides E and F', tsee Fig. 1,) upon which the arms A and A will operate so as to turn the paddle-shafts and present the broad surfaces of the paddles to the water in the line of its jet or to the line of direction of the boat or vessel (see Fig. 3) till the paddles attain that position at which their propelling power ceases and the resistance of the backwater begins, when by the operation of the arms and guidesthe paddles will be turned half-round, so as to present their edges to the backwater, (see Fig. 2,) thus cutting their way out and avoiding the resistance resulting from such backwater. The operation of the arms A and A and guides E and F will turn the paddles completely round, so as again present their b road or flat surfaces to the line of the jet or the direction of the boat or vessel, as above described, at the point where the propelling power of the paddles begins to operate. These arrangements are alike applicable to hydraulic wheels for driving machinery in xed establishments, and to wheels for propelling boats and vessels of all kinds on oceans, seas,lakes, and rivers.

lVhat I claim as my invention is The combination of the `guidesEand F, the armsAand A', the connecting-rods D and D', the double cranks Land M, and the sectional paddles H, operating together in the manner and so as to produce the effects above described.

I do not claim these or any of them or any part or parts of the wheel separately.

Dated April 22, A. D. 1859.

J. L. HUSBAND.

In presence of- J oHN TrrUs, WM. A. HUSBAND. 

